Kowalski's Great Works
by SmallerThan
Summary: Kowalski ponders on the prospects of life on his last day, and as always, Marlene is there beside him. One-shot, hints for the last chapter of The Irrelevant Equation of One Plus One.


Kowalski's Great Works

He looks at the calendar with a careless expression.

It was Tuesday once more.

So familiar, and so strange, that word was to him. He was 73 years old; a Tuesday had come to him every week of every year without fail through all this time, so of course it was a familiar name to him.

But it was a strange name all the same.

Hadn't it only been Tuesday last week too? And the one before it and the one before it and so on, and yet, they were never the same, so hectic, so complicated, so many plans, and ideas, each as insane as the one before, and yet, here he was, looking at a single sheet with strange letters and numbers and figures that told him that yes, he had overcome a Tuesday, and here was another one to take its place. So what would he behold during this particular one?

It was strange to him, because though he knew what to expect, he also knew that it also would not work out that way.

He walks past Private who was busy drinking coffee and fish, an absent look on his eyes. He smiles and waves to Kowalski once he realizes that he went by, but Kowalski was already gone. Rico sat on his rocking chair laughing to himself, mumbling about "explosive powder". On a small table beside him stood Skipper's last picture, the one where he sat above Mount Everest as part of his final wish. His grave was still marked at its peak, where they visited every year.

Outside, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, the water around him crystal clear. What differences there were around the zoo. Yet, he was still here. He had seen it all. But with it, he had realized that there was no way that was true. More like he had seen variations of a cycle, the night, the day, rain and snow, fall and spring, black and white, life and death. It was a changing world, and that was all there was to it, change.

He gathers fish from the ground, wincing at the pain he feels on his back. He eats the fish slowly, savoring it. After all these years it still tasted like fish.

He dives into the water, feeling the smooth coolness that travels through his black and gray feathers, realizing that after all these years, the water was still water.

The same substance.

Timeless.

Shaking himself off, a few of his feathers fall. He picks one up, his expression as careless as when he had looked at the calendar. He studies the soft fragile feather that blended in nicely with the gray flipper that held it. He was sure that if he closed his fin and crushed the feather in it it would turn to dust. He wonders if he would too.

Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind he heads back to the HQ with some fish on hand, feeds them to Rico, and talks for a few minutes with Private. Then, he walks to Marlene's habitat, despite the long time it takes him to get there.

At the entrance, Dmitri flies to him, large and majestic, a full-fledged eagle now, with shining feathers and sharp brown eyes. Behind him, a now grown Mort jumps out of the tree, his eyes not quite as large and his gaze much more focused and intelligent than before.

Dmitri takes an alert look around before relaxing, going up to Kowalski to shake his flipper. It was silly, but Kowalski could see a younger him reflected in his face, despite the fact that they were different animals.

What a commotion it had been; a father penguin, a mother otter, an eagle child and a brother lemur. When the old zoo keeper Alice found out all she could do was brag. So much, in fact, that she had alerted the media. The people got quite a fill with tales of the family that showed that love knew no differences in species. Crowds had come to presence themselves the spectacular miracle that was this little group.

Kowalski had been glad when they all left.

"Hey dad." greets Dmitri. Despite his mother's muteness, Dmitri had learned to speak just like all the other animals. His voice sounded remarkably like Kowalski's, something that made him both proud and surprised. "You going to in to see mom?"

"Sure are."

"Tell her I'll be back by this afternoon, There are a few new construction sites around the place we'd like to check out."

Mort nods, walking up to him.

"Can't be too careful around here with Dr. Sharpclaw still at large." His voice was surprisingly deep, but it suited him, a tall, strong lemur; helping care for Dmitri had taken his mind off Julien's feet and, along with it, he had managed to regain his ability to think clearly. Kowalski had taken advantage of his change, teaching him as well as Dmitri in all that they needed, he had become their father.

He pats Mort's cheek softly.

"Great job son."

Mort grins, the childish devotion he showed for feet, replaced for love for his dad. He nods and goes to Dmitri, high-fiving each other.

"You two be careful."

They salute him.

Dmitri grabs Mort by the shoulders and flaps his wings, the wind almost knocking Kowalski off balance. They head off, the warrior and the scientist leaving for battle. He watches as they join a V of ducks in the sky; most likely the elite group of Eggy and his sibling. They were now the protecting force of the zoo.

Kowalski smiles. He could remember being young, so eager to go places and explore all around. Or at least, when he had been able to.

He walks into Marlene's home.

Marlene sat on a stool, making a new painting. Her face was calm and serene, much as the skies that she traced, her paw gliding smoothly across the page, turning simple pigments into a wondrous image. An illusion that had once only existed in her mind but was now out for everyone to see.

He lays his flipper on her shoulder. She smiles and places her paw over his fin, setting the brush down to be able to face him better.

Her fur was more white than brown these days, as if a soft blanket of snow had come one winter day and had refused to be shaken off. Her eyes remained as brown as before, though, the same way his had remained blue. He loved to stare deep into them and see the Marlene within that wasn't old and fragile, but strong and fresh. When he does, it's as if it was once more 40 years earlier and they were young again, ready to intake on another adventure. She would take his fin and lead him to a journey that he would at first hesitate to take, but then walk to full of spirit, knowing that she would never let go.

So much went on behind those eyes, so many ideas and possibilities from a vivid soul. She could mount enough strength to fight an eagle all by herself, enough compassion to hold on to a small chick and never let go, enough love to hug him despite the differences they had, feel enough anger to chase a lemur with a crowbar at hand, feel enough sadness to cry for hours on end, create an epic wonderland for a competition on the web, gather enough courage to face a crocodile while no one else would, come up with solutions even he hadn't considered, and with it all make him smile in one single glance.

He remembered all this every time he looked into her eyes.

"You look beautiful."

How long ago he had said those words to her for the first time, the first time also, that he had realized how much he truly loved her, the day that he had finally admitted to her that he loved her, the week that their lives had changed, the year that now seemed so far away.

They spend the day talking, walking slowly around the zoo, greeting old and new friends. Julien and Sophie and their three kids, Sophie waving warmly to them while Julien snores on the throne beside her, their kids breaking havoc in the habitat, swinging through branches to the beat of the music playing on the old boom box. Maurice's grave filled with fresh flowers in the corner of the habitat.

Mason and Phil sat in their cage playing checkers, Mason yelling at Phil in his raspy voice for chewing on the pieces. They nod at Jack, Jake, and Jacob, the triplet kangaroos that loved to break free of their pens and crush everything in their way. The dolphins, Doris and Al, swimming together in their pool, the parrots in their new sanctuary, the wolverines laughing together at a joke one of them said, the small rhino siblings, the elephant they had always known, the baboon gals still dancing and looking as young as ever, as well as ostriches and flamingos that hung in their flocks.

They would have kept on, except halfway through Kowalski's feet gave out and he fell, Marlene instantly at his side. She called for help when she realized he wasn't able to get up, and soon, with its always present "quick response" Eggy's team was there to help them. Dmitri quickly gathered his adoptive dad up on his feet, and with Mort and Marlene on each side they carried Kowalski home.

Marlene stood on his bedside holding his flipper as one of Eggy's recruits examined him, she held his flipper while they waited for the results, she held his flipper when she got the news, and she vowed to hold his flipper for as long as he was there. According to statistics, it would just be that one day.

Kowalski listens to all of this, drifting in and out, thoughts traveling through his head like strange illusions that made sense while sounding completely insane.

So he was finally going to die.

How many times had he cheated death? And now, of all ways to go, this would be his. He realizes now, that he hadn't cheated death, death was too sure, held too firm a grasp on him, and that he had only postponed his time to a more definite end.

He thinks about his life.

The first thing he could remember, his dad's smooth voice telling him about logarithms while he was inside his egg still. His first breath, analyzing air as a sweet substance that filled his lungs and brought freedom to his mind. The death of his parents, so terrible and so sudden. His first time seeing Rico and Skipper, Skipper's commanding attitude comical thanks to his size and fluffy feathers, Rico covered in gun powder with a gleeful expression on his face. His first mission, the first time he came to New York, Madagascar, Africa, Ecuador, South America, Alaska, China, France, and plans for all those trips, endless sketches and numbers appearing in his clipboard going as fast as he could write them. Seeing Private hatch, greeting Marlene as he walked by, holding the chick in his fins for the first time, marrying Marlene, adopting Mort from Julien, watching Skipper push Private out of the way of the avalanche, seeing Rico go insane bit by bit, watching Private mature, takeover, marry, and retire.

And now this.

Einstein said time was relative, unreal. A concept made up by humans to satisfy their need for a measurement of all and specifications to such. Kowalski realizes grimly that he was wrong. Time could be seen. It was in the gray hue of his feathers, in the crooked bend of his back, in the many lines seemingly chiseled into his face. It could be heard every time he spoke, his voice soft and raspy, every time his bones creaked, in the silence that resounded during those long stretches of time he sat contemplating about everything. Time could be felt, his deteriorating bones giving sharp stabs of pain with the slightest of movements.

He was a good representation that time wasn't relative, and an even better one that time was harsh.

Tears stream down his face as these thoughts take place. He wakes up to Marlene's still form beside him, her eyes closed, her paw holding his. He caresses her fur with his free fin, watching her sleep, no longer caring about time. At least he had spent it with her.

Dmitri bends down beside him, smiling grimly.

"How're you feeling?" he asks. Kowalski laughs.

"Good as ever."

"The charts…"

"Don't dictate every second of my life."

Dmitri looks up, his feathers matted down and dark. Kowalski sighs.

"There's so much I still want to teach you, so many discoveries I've yet to share, so many ideas…but you know I can't be here forever, and that is just fine. I had my time, and now it's your turn to go out into the world and discover new things, to spread your wings and find out those things I did and even those that I didn't. I can't stay here with you, I've taught you how to be alert, how to care for yourself, the rest you have to do on your own."

He pauses for breath, feeling Marlene stir beside him.

"Don't worry about me," he tells his son, "I've learned to live life, and now, I just want you to promise me that you'll do the same."

Where had his words gone? They had always been complex, so many puzzled looks would be given to him with each one of them, but now, the last hour of his life, and all his words were simple, straight from the heart, perfect.

"I promise." Dmitri holds his wing over his heart. Behind him, the door opens, Mort coming in with Private behind, leading Rico by the shoulders. Marlene wakes up, blinking rapidly, smiling plaintively at everyone before facing Kowalski with eyes that reflected light, running her paw gently down the side of his beak.

"Love you." She whispers. He can't speak anymore, he can't even smile back, so he settles for gazing back serenely, trying to register through to her that he did too. So much.

Marlene nods, her eyes fill with tears.

"I know you do."

Everyone gathers around Kowalski's bed, all giving him their last farewell. He looks at them, one by one. There was Private; he looked so much like his uncle Nigel, his form mature and ready, his eyes still reflecting the spirit of a young boy. Rico, crazy and wild, a goofy grin on his beak, his gaze far off. Mort, solemn and sad, so much more established, in fact the new gadgetrist of the group, gazing at Kowalski. Dmitri, resigned, but ready, smiling at his dad encouragingly, his eyes wet and bright. Marlene, holding on after all this time, strong and supportive, laying her head against his chest, feeling his soft breathing. His family all here to set him off.

_Kowalski sighs peacefully and closes his eyes, settling on the bed more comfortably. Soon he sees the familiar fog and feels the same feeling of happiness and peace. He sees five figures materialize in front of him. His mom, his dad, Maurice, Mother Eagle, and Skipper. He smiles as he walks to them, once more able to do so swiftly and without pain. They cheer as he walks past the fog and together, they all head towards what would be Kowalski's new home._

Marlene feels Kowalski become still and cries, holding him close.

Dmitri hides his face behind his wings, and Mort leans against the wall, missing already the closes thing he had ever had to a dad. Private looks down, soft tears trailing down his beak, and Rico, crazy clueless Rico, goes to Kowalski and hands him his clipboard. When Kowalski doesn't take it, he lays his flipper over Kowalski's chest, and, feeling no heartbeat, withdraws to the corner of the room where he places a picture of Skipper and Kowalski side by side.

Everyone watches, and they know then, that he wasn't alone, and that they would all meet again, someday, to be together once more.

Quite the discovery it was, Mort takes Kowalski's clipboard and writes it down. He had found that writing things down helped him consider things more efficiently. Suddenly, on the page behind the one he was writing on, he finds writing that hadn't been there. He flips the page, and finds the Kowalski's testament.

_To Marlene…To Dmitri….To Mort…-my clipboard._

He looks around at everyone, young and old, showing them his find, knowing what his place would be now; the options guy, the clipboard was his. They come to him and pat his back as they read it.

"Great job Mort, great job."

Kowalski was the symbol of time, and Mort, young analytical Mort, was the symbol of change. They all were. Under Kowalski's leadership, they had all shaped up to who they were. The changes brought about were Kowalski's great works. All of them.

* * *

Monsy's Note: hs story wasn't planned, wasn't thought of, all of what you just read is as it was when I first typed it down. I want to use his story as dedication's spot for all of you who have made me want to write the best stories possible, and for supporting me in my author's career.

Blouper, I say it all the time, and really, I have to, because there is just simply no way to thank you enough everytime. Thank-you, for everything.

Knockknocktimerico, you put up with me, you allow me to be the first to read your chapters, trust me with them, and have become practically my best pal on the web. What to say besides thanks. Lots and lots of thanks.

Littlebirdy05, you write the most amazing stories! The talent you have is exceptional, i love them all so much, you've no idea how jealous I am :) There's just so much spark in them. Not to mention how incredibly nice she is! Amazingly cool too XD Keep it up gal!

JackandJill2, my new beta-e, her story will be on the crossover section, I've only read the first chapter, but by golly, the girl can write! I recommend it so much, and thank-you for all the adds and reviews.

SpottedPaw13, for always being there, and recognizing two of my other favorite authors, the first two named above :)

Kvzpenguin, so great, so nice, so fantastic an author, by golly, you rock!

The Color Blind Bird, Wirewolf, Robin Princess, Emerald Pichus, thanks so much for reviving Kowalski's Origin :)

Esperata, for being the main inspiration of my startin writting stories here.

Tripenguinman, you rock dude!

Ponytail, how can someone have so great an idea and such a great colourful writting style?

All of my Marski supporters! Shoutout to every single one of you, and may Marski become real one day! :D

Gatorgirl, my first ever favorite. And still is :)

Halhuman123, who has followd my stories since Kowalski's Origin, thank-you. +D

Dragongirlj, Smilesas, Ravenfeathersofdarkness, Icecreamlover, OMG, I should thank-you each seperately, but I just Love all of you so much, and It's a big love trust me, so I can group you guys togheter and give ya'll one big HUG *hugs* :)

thank-you all SO much.


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